Outsourcing global clinical
& medical engagement for accelerated drug approval
& acceptance
AnswerY™, an AI-driven, HIPAA-compliant platform of prescriber-patient conversations that drives next-best actions
Outsourcing global clinical
& medical engagement for accelerated drug approval
& acceptance
AnswerY™, an AI-driven, HIPAA-compliant platform of prescriber-patient conversations that drives next-best actions
A Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) Virtual Roundtable Hosted by Amplity on May 1, 2025
Amplity Authors
Co-Authors
Amplity, a contract commercial and medical organization, recently sat down with 5 medical affairs leaders to explore the pros and cons of outsourcing field medical teams. Although outsourcing is well established for commercial teams, field medical outsourcing is not yet widely understood or practiced in the pharma industry.
Medical affairs is evolving into a more strategic and influential function. Leaders are expected to help shape product strategies, assess and integrate AI into workflows, and engage with regulators. These responsibilities come alongside the traditional jobs of congress planning, data generation, key opinion leader (KOL) mapping, and medical communication.
Given these pressures, delegating team construction and management to a trusted partner could unlock time and energy. That would help medical affairs step into the role of a critical strategic partner.
Life science organizations that outsource field medical teams–medical science liaisons (MSLs), lab science liaisons (LSLs), and precision medicine liaisons (PMLs) –commonly applaud this model for its ability to increase agility, speed, and control while de-risking certain aspects of an expanded field presence.
Perhaps that’s why the medical affairs outsourcing market is poised to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2% from 2024 to 2030. Outsourced MSLs are expected to grow at the fastest CAGR overall.
However, at a recent roundtable, some medical affairs leaders shared reservations about this model.
At the start of the discussion, the group cataloged the factors that influence the in-house or outsource decision.
MSL salaries range from a low of $155,000 for people with a PhD or PharmD degree and no experience, to a high of $240,000 per year for professionals with a terminal degree and industry experience. Salaries can be even higher in oncology and ultra- rare disease, where it’s very difficult to find talent. Recruiting agencies charge 25% of the base salary—or more—to place a candidate.
Pharma research and development pipelines are crowded, with the number of compounds in development doubling over the past decade, according to McKinsey. At the same time, accelerated timelines and rising competition have shortened the time in which a product can reach maximum sales.
Large pharma companies have talent acquisition departments, while smaller companies often work with recruitment agencies. But even large companies use placement agencies when their internal teams hit a dead end.
For these reasons, the discussion group agreed that when salary, benefits, HR, compliance, training, technology costs, and speed of hiring are considered, contract MSLs are less expensive than in-house hires.
“That makes (MSL outsourcing) very cost-efficient,” said one participant.
MSLs play a particular role in a product launch, being the most active during phase 3, registration, and launch, and the first year a product is on the market. From a hiring perspective, local medical science liaisons should ideally be in place 18 to 24 months before launch and remain highly active for a full year post-launch.
The time it takes to recruit, hire, and onboard a new MSL can vary widely, depending on the need and efficiency of pharma company processes and the competition for certain types of MSLs.
In general, though, it’s widely recognized that the networks and referral partners available to a company like Amplity allow us to find talent in weeks, not months.
“We considered contract MSLs in the context of launching a potential drug and wanting to quickly expand on what our field team is currently capturing in terms of insights,” said one participant.
As companies develop drugs and treatments for highly targeted, ever smaller groups of patients, they are looking for MSLs with previous, specialized experience.
Bringing on outsourced talent is one way to quickly get expertise without building it in-house.
Retention is an issue across the industry, and some participants voiced concern that outsourced MSLs would be even less likely to stay with their employer. ARX Research found that the average MSL turnover rate is 35% per year, with MSLs generally leaving for larger companies and more money.
“The cost and investment to train and bring an MSL up to speed is high. The chance of losing that person and then having to start over—for a small company, that’s a big cost consideration,” said one participant.
Interestingly, the turnover rate for Amplity contract MSLs is 10%, with 90% staying after 1 year. This is likely because Amplity pays at the market rate or slightly higher, giving our contract MSLs no reason to leave.
MSLs’ cultural fit and dedication to the company mission is essential, whether they are under contract or a full-time hire. Some participants were hesitant about outsourcing for fear of bringing on board a candidate who did not align culturally with the parent company.
“We really spend a lot of time when we select employees to see if there’s a cultural fit,” said one participant. “In rare disease, I think that’s really important.”
Cultural fit is an essential component to finding a happy employee.
Amplity’s team spends a significant amount of time implementing programs to align on cultural fit when presenting candidates. We get to know the client and their mission. Based on our years of experience, we have a good sense of the type of person who would fit.
When using an external team, there can be fear of losing control over a company’s intellectual property.
“When you’re talking about a person who’s not your own [full-time employee], the biggest challenge is, how much can I share with this person so far as my strategies are concerned,” said one participant. “Because, at the end of the day, it’s not my employee, and we are working in a very competitive space.”
Contract MSLs are fully dedicated to a singular client and operate with strict internal firewalls to prevent any sharing of proprietary information from being shared.
What’s more, pharma partners always retain the right to hire Amplity contract MSLs internally, and we consider that a sign of a successful engagement.
Amplity’s clients have found outsourced teams are a critical part of their strategy in the following business scenarios:
When a client’s existing team is focused on a certain therapeutic area or compound, outsourced teams lay the groundwork for a new launch. The outsourced team integrates with the client’s existing MSL team over time, ensuring knowledge transfer and alignment while allowing the internal team to focus on their core objectives.
In some cases, clients shift their internal MSLs to focus on new priorities. But they continue to need coverage for older, established products. Outsourced teams maintain coverage, ensuring continuity while the internal team transitions to its next focus area.
With the growth of specialty pharmaceuticals and precision medicine, a medical affairs strategy may involve new forms of outreach. For example, in oncology, outsourced teams of Laboratory Science Liaisons or Precision Medicine Liaisons engage with pathologists or lab professionals. These roles require specialized KPIs and training and aren’t always suitable for traditional MSLs, yet their work complements that of field teams.
Traditional MSLs focus on guideline leaders and KOLs. Outsourced teams can focus on community HCPs. Empowered with data on community networks, these teams complement thought leader engagement, creating a more comprehensive approach that delivers value across the medical landscape.
As clinical research becomes more global, establishing relationships with primary investigators and sites is necessary for trial success. Organizations need to have boots on the ground to maintain consistent face-to-face interactions with these sites. For organizations that lack the internal infrastructure to set up business entities around the world in countries they are operating within, contract MSLs are an efficient approach to quickly find talented individuals to support a program. Amplity understands local hiring laws and cultural needs to optimize global teams in an efficient manner.
The future of medical affairs is exciting, with leaders poised to take on a greater strategic role within pharma companies.
Given that the number of drug launches in the United States is expected to be higher than in past decades, the “Great Debate” helped us explore outsourcing as a strategic option.
In favor of using outsourced MSLs, the discussion group participants agreed that the cost efficiencies and speed offered by this model were superior to hiring internally. Their biggest concerns were about outsourced MSLs’ allegiances, retention, and quality.
Overall, they seemed open to the idea of outsourcing in light of market trends placing an increased focus on niche therapeutic areas; the rapid growth of novel compounds; and the need to establish scientific platforms quickly.
Indeed, we expect these pressures on medical leadership will likely make the outsourced MSL model more common. It’s up to each organization to understand how the general concept can best be tailored to their own company’s environment and specific portfolio needs.
